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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G W M OONZ ELEOTRIGAL SIGNAL APPARATUS.

No. 416,572. v Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

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(No Model.) ZSheets-Sheet 2.

G. W. M. ,GONZ'. ELBGTRIO SI'GNAL APPARATUS. No. 416,572. Patented DeoLB. P889.

W/T/VESS 8: l/Vl/E/VTOI? ATTOHIVEYJ.

. UNIT-ED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV \VILHELM MAXIMILIAN CONZ, OF ULM, lVURTEMBERG, GERMANY.

ELECTRICAL SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,572, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed October 5, 1887. Serial No. 251,4= .93- (No model.) Patented in Germany January 18, 1887,110. 44,338; in Italy May 26, 1887, No. 21,784; in England June 1, 1887,1lo. 7,953; in Spain June 3, 1887, No. 11,391, and in Austria-Hungary May 4,1888,N0.4,717 and No. 141,517.

To all whom it may concern: material placed between the blocks M M Be it known that I, GUSTAV VVILHELM MAX- &c. The top edges of the blocks M M, &c., IMILIAN OONZ, of Ulm,Wiirtemberg, Germany, and the insulating-pieces J are on the same have invented certain new and useful Imlevel, said top edges being beveled to formv a 5 provements in Electrical Signal Apparatus, wedge-shaped annular track on which a roller r (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in r can run, said roller being pivoted in the Great Britain, No. 7,953, dated June 1, 1887; forked end of an arm 0, projecting fromaoy- Germany, No. 44,338, dated January 18, 1887; lindrical piece 0, mounted to turn on the Spain, No. 11,391, dated June 3, 1887; Italy, rounded part of a vertical spindle a: in the IO No. 21,784, dated May 26, 1887, and Austriacenter of the circle formed by the blocks M Hungary, No. 4,717 and No. 14,517, dated M &c., and the insulating-pieces J. The May 4, 1888,) of which the following is a specilower part of said spindle a; is squared, so fication. as to prevent the spindle from turning, and This invention relates to a new and imthe lower end of the spindle is guided in a 15 proved apparatus for transmitting one or suitable socket in the base-plate J. Above more signals electrically by means of a single said socket a sleeve is held by means of a key to a single or several stations, this appabinding-screw a on the spindle 00, said sleeve ratus being specially adapted for giving sigbeing insulated, as shown in Fig. 3, and connals at railway stations, switch-houses and nected by a flexible wire I) with the dy- 2o crossings, telegraphstations, for signaling on namo D Against one side of the sleeve k 70 ships, and for transmitting military signals. three contact-pieces g g g rest, which are The invention consists in the combination, secured to the upper ends of springs f f f with a series of wires arranged concentrically connected, respectively, with the resistanceand each connected with a line-wire, of a rocoils R, R and R located within the circle 25 tative contact-closing arm the center of rotaformed by the segmental blocks M M &c., tion of which is at the center of the concenand the insulating-pieces J, said resistancetric wires, said arm serving to bring the linecoils being connected by suitable wires with Wire connected with it in circuit with one or the dynamo. The pieces g g g are arranged, more of the said concentric wires, according as shown in Fig. 1, one above the other, so 30 to the signal to be sent. that by raising the spindle m the sleeve 7c The invention also consists in the construcsuccessively slides off the said pieces g g g tion and combination of parts and details, as that is to say, the contact between the sleeve will be fully described and set forth hereinand said pieces is successively broken. The after, and finally pointed out in the claims. contact-stud b is formed at the opposite side 3 5 In the accompanyingdrawings, Figurel is a of the sleeve 70 on the upper end of an upcross-sectional view of that construction of right spring I). A brush b is secured to the the apparatus which it must have when used upper end of the spring Z) and bears against with a permanent source of electricity, such the spindle as for the purpose of conducting as a dynamo-electric machine. Fig. 2 is a the current that passes from the sleeve kinto 40' plan View of the construction shown in Fig. the contact-piece Z) to the spindle :10, arm 0, 9o 1, parts being omitted. Fig. 3 is a diagramand roller 0*. Said contact-piece b is located matic view of the construction shown in such a distance above the top of the sleeve 70 Fig. 2. that when the sleeve is moved upward suf- Similar letters of reference indicate correficiently to break the contact between it and 45 sponding parts. the lowest contact-piece g the upper part of On the insulated base-plate J a number the sleeve will be in contact with the contactof (in this case six) upright segmental metal piece 1). A tongue A projects from the blocks M M M "M M M are secured around spindle ac, and can pass into recesses G, of a common center, the circle being completed varying depths, extending upward from the 50 by segmental blocks or piecesJ of insulating bottom edge of the cylindrical piece 0. A I00 sleeve h, surrounding the spindle 00, has its lower end connected with the cylindrical piece 0, and is passed through the cover 1V of the casing \V, surrounding the apparatus, and to the top of said sleeve h a pointer is secured, which extends over the top of the casing in the same direction as the arm 0. A knob T is mounted on the upper end of the spindle 00 in such a manner that it can be used to raise the spindle, but can turn on said spindle. To the bottom of the knob T the plate T is secured, which is provided with apertures T into which a pin p can pass, that projects upward from the inner end of the pointer 2. An annular scale 1V is fixed on the top of the cover NV, and on it the marks or characters are to be produced which represent the different signals.

Three concentric circular wires Nos. 1, 2, and 3 surround the circle formed by the metal blocks and insulating-pieces, and are brought in electrical connection with the various blocks by passing through brackets or projections M on the outer faces of the said blocks. For instance, the block M is connected with all three wires 1, 2, and 3, as shown in the left-hand side of Fig. 1, whereas the block M (shown 011 the right-hand side of Fig. 1) is only connected with one of the wires, in this case No. 2. The wires L L L are connected with the wires 1-, 2, and 2-3, as shown in Fig. 1 by the dotted lines.

\"Vith this machine a permanent source of electricitysuch as a dynamo-electric machine-is used.

The operation is as follows: In the construction shown in Figs. 1. and 2 the knob T is lowered, so that the pin 19 can pass through one of the apertures T, and is turned until the pointer 2' points to one of the signal-marks on the scale 1V Thereby the sleeve h and circular piece C are also carried around and the roller 1' is brought upon the top edge of that metal block M 01131 which corresponds to the desired signal. For example, in Fig. 1 the block M is connected with all three wires 1, 2, and 3. The current now passes from the dynamo-machine D to the sleeve 7c, the contactpieces g g g the springs f f f the resistance-coils R R R and back to the dynamo. None of the current passes through the line-wires. To give the signal, the spindle at is raised by pulling the knob T upward as far as the corresponding recess in the cylinder 0 allows. The result is that the sleeve k is raised and brought in contact with the contact-piece b and out of contact with all three contact-pieces g g g so that all the current from the dynan10-machine now passes to the sleeve 70, the contact-piece Z), spindle 217, the arm 0, and roller 0' to the metal block 3 and all the three wires 1, 2, and 3, wires L L L and the line-wires, and back to the dynamo. hen the arm 0 is in such a position that its roller 0' rests upon the block M, the cylinder 0 is in such a position that its deepest notch C is directly above the tongue nected with the wire 2 only, the knob T is turned until the pointer .2 points to the corresponding mark on the scale when the roller 0" rests on the block M". It the spindle 0c is now raised, the tongue A passes into a notch C in the cylinder C of such depth that the sleeve can only be raised sufficiently to disengage it from the contact-pieee 9', said sleeve still remaining in contact with the contact-pieces g g at the same time being in contact with the contact-piece b. The result is that one-third of the current passes through the contact-piece Z), the spindle an, arm 0, roller 0'', metal block M, wire No. 2, wire L and to the corresponding line-wire, and back to the dynamo, the remaining two-thirds of the current passing through the resistancecoils R R and back to the dynamo. \Vith this apparatus six signals can be given, one 011 each signal-wire Nos. 1, 2, and 3, one on the two wires Nos. 1 and 2 together, another on the wires Nos. 2 and 3 together, and one on all three wires, as the blocks M M &c., are connected accordingly with the wires 1, 2, and

For the first three signals only one of the resistance-coils R R R will be cut out. For the fourth and fifth signals given on two wires two of the resistance-coils are cut out, and for the signal given on all three wires all three of the resistance-coils are cut out.

It is evident that the contaet pieces g g g need not necessarily be constructed in the manner described, but may be arranged with yielding spring contact-pieces of any wellknown construction.

Havingthus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a number of concentric wires, a central post, conductive blocks, some of which are connected with one and some with two or more of said wires, an arm mounted to turn on the central postand to run on said blocks, a conducting-wire connected with the central post, and a wire connected with each of said concentric wires.

2. The combination of a number of concentric wires, conductive blocks, some of which are connected with one and some with two or more of said wires, resistances connected with the source of electricity, a central post connected with the source of electricity, a circuit-closing arm on the center post, and switching devices located between the resistances and the circuit-closing arm.

3. The combination of a number of segmental conductive blocks disposed in a circle and insulated from each other, a series of electric circuit-s, each of said circuits being connected separately to some of said conductive blocks, jointly with each of the other circuits to other of said blocks, and jointly with all the other circuits to another of said blocks, a center post, and a circuit-changing arm on said post provided with a roller which swings in contact with said segments.

4. The combination of a circular track composed of segmental conductive blocks and segmental insulating-blocks disposed in alternation,-a series of concentric wires encircling said track, each of said wires being connected separately to some of said conductive blocks, jointly with each of the other wires to other of said blocks, and jointly withall the other wires to another of said blocks, electric circuits connected, respectively, with said concentric wires, a center post, and a circuitchanging arm on said post, provided with a roller which travels on said track.

5. The combination of a sliding spindle provided with a laterally-projecting tongue, a sleeve on said spindle, a cylindrical piece at the lower end of said sleeve provided with slots of different depths engaged by said tongue when the spindle is raised, an insulated sleeve on said spindle, contact-pieces disposed one in advance of another normally in contact with said sleeve, and a contact-stud electrically connected with said spindle and disposed in the path of said insulated sleeve.

6. The combination of a sliding spindle provided with a laterally-projecting tongue, a sleeve on said spindle, a cylindrical piece at -the lower end of said sleeve provided with slots of difierent depths engaged by said tongue when the spindle is raised, an insulated sleeve on said spindle, contact-pieces disposed one in advance of another normally in contact with said sleeve, a contact-stud electrically connected with said spindle and disposed in the path of said insulated sleeve, a pointer attached to the upper end of the sleeve first above mentioned, and a knob on said spindle for raising it.

7 The combination of a sliding spindle provided with a sleeve fixed thereon and insulated therefrom, a circuit-changing arm on said spindle, contact-pieces disposed one in advance of another normally in contact with said sleeve, resistances connected, respectively, with said contact-pieces, and a contactstud electrically connected with said arm and disposed in the path of said sleeve, whereby as the spindle is moved and said sleeve brought in contact with said stud one or more of said contact-pieces are released from' contact with the sleeve and one or more of the resistances cut out.

8. In an electric signaling apparatus, the combination, with a series of concentric wires, of metal blocks with which one or more of the wires are connected, a post or spindle at the center of the circular wires, an arm on the same, resistance-coils, a series of spring connected electrically with the arm on the center post, subtantially as shown and described.

9. In an electric signaling apparatus, the combination, with a series of concentric wires, of metal blocks connected with one or more of the wires, a sliding spindle or post at the center of the circles described by the wires, a rotative contact-closing arm mounted to turn on said spindle and running on the said metal blocks, a cylindrical piece at the inner end of said rotative contact-closing arm, which cylindrical piece has recesses in its bottom edge, a tongue projecting from the spindle and adapted to pass into said recesses, a sleeve on the sliding spindle or post, contact-pieces A resting against the sleeve and connected electrically with resistances, and a contact-piece at the side of the sleeve, which contact-piece is connected electrically with the rotative arm on the spindle, substantially as set forth.

10. In an electrical signaling apparatus, the combination, with the concentric wires 1., 2, and 3, of the metal blocks M M 850., connected with one or more of the wires, the insulating-pieces J between the metal blocks, the sliding spindle 0c, the resistances R R R the contact-pieces g g g connected with the resistances, the sleeve on the spindle, the contact-piece b on the spring I), the tongue A on the spindle, the arm 0, mounted .to turn on the spindle and provided with the roller 1", running on the upper edge of the metal blocks, and the cylindrical piece 0 on the inner end of the arm a, which piece is provided with recesses O in its lower edge, substantially as shown and described.

11. In an electric signaling apparatus, the combination, with the concentric wires 1, 2, and 3, of the metal blocks M M &c., connected with one or more of the wires, the insulating-pieces J between the metal blocks, the sliding spindle x, the resistances R R R the contact-pieces g g g connected with the resistances, the sleeve 70 on the spindle, the contact-piece -b on the spring I), the tongue A on the spindle, the arm 0, mounted to turn on the spindle and provided with the roller 1', running on the upper edge of the metal blocks, and the cylindrical piece 0 on the inner end of the arm 0, which piece is provided with recesses O in its lower edge, the sleeve h, the pointer z, and scale V substantially as shown and described.

12. In an electric signaling apparatus, the combination, with the concentric wires 1, 2, and 3, of the metal blocks M M &c., connected with one or more of the wires, the insulating-pieces J between the metal blocks,

the sliding spindle 0c, the resistances R R the inner endof the arm 0, which piece isprovided with recesses C in its lower edge, the sleeve h, the pointer z, and scale XV the pin 1), and the knob T, provided with the plate T, having apertures T substantially as set forth.

13. In an electric signaling apparatus, the combination, with a series of concentric wires, of metal blocks connected with one or more of the Wires, a sliding spindle or post at the center of the circles described by the wires, a rotative contact-closing arm mounted to turn on said spindle and running on said metal blocks, a sleeve on the sliding spindle or post, contact-pieces resting against the sleeve and connected electrically with resist- 

